Ty Segall – “Hello, Hi”

It’s Ty Segall gone acoustic... mostly. His ever-sweet melodies this time backed by plucked guitar strings rather than electric power chords (although the title track is an exception to the rule). Senor Segall always mixes it up from album to album though this is the first time he’s gone largely acoustic since his classic Sleeper album. That one had more of a Neil Young feel. This one has more of a Marc Bolan kinda thing going on. Thematically it’s about little daily moments. An album about nothing in particular other than a general happy contentedness, presumably written at home during the pandemic (or at least with that in mind), with Segall playing pretty much everything. This dude has grown into such a fantastic producer so you know the album sounds fantastic. Although for all the DIY Majesty... the best track of the lot is actually a cover: Don’t Lie, written by Californian garage band The Mantles.

beabadoobee – Beatopia

Second full-length from the British indie rocker and whereas her debut channelled a lot of 90s indie rock influences this one is all about the early 2000s. A tune like 10:36 still serves up the ultra-catchy grunge pop of her early EPs in particular but then that’s followed by Sunny Day which is very much on that slow jam R&B kinda buzz. That specific sound isn’t reflective of the whole album but the tempo is, with beabadoobee’s second album featuring a lot of slower and introspective songs. Plenty of dynamic shifts but she doesn’t really cut loose at any point here. Talk is a standout track that rocks a bit though it’s the last third of the album that tells the real story, a sequence of sweetly contented melodies that’ll take the edge off any stressful day.

Domo Genesis & Evidence - Intros, Outros & Interludes

Domo Genesis has churned out high quality hip-hop bangers after his rise with Odd Future and his latest project with Evidence 'Intros, Outros & Interludes' is the latest example. Evidence provides a soundtrack with insightful samples and stripped back production, allowing Domo to flex his poetry alongside Navy Blue, Remy Banks, Boldy James and Evidence himself. Any project that calls upon Navy Blue and Boldy James is already moving in my favourite hip-hop direction, although this is a reminder that Domo sits in the same echelon of story telling. Through listening to the latest Joey Bada$$ release '2000', I found myself comparing these two projects. Nothing about 2000 captured my soul and it felt like a medicore re-do of Joey's earlier music, with some awesome flashes. This Domo/Evidence project reminds me to dig deeper for music that maintains soulful energy and for what it's worth; I found myself drawn to this project far more than 2000.

black midi - Hellfire

Truly one of the most triumphantly weird popular bands right now. black midi began as this sorta mathematical industrial rock band though they’ve since added these elements of... almost like cabaret, seriously. It’s a performative silliness that goes along with their mechanical noise. Their albums are chaotic experiences as they bounce from one apparent extreme to another. Sometimes from song to song, sometimes from verse to verse. It’s mental stuff. Easy to see how they could be considered a love ‘em or hate ‘em kinda band... but the wise listener will surely find themselves on the love ‘em side of the ledger. Because these guys are just so much fun, man. From the scattergun percussion to the fevered energy to the deep dive lyrics to the general sense of anarchic trickster philosophy that seems to pervade everything that black midi does.

Bartees Strange – Farm To Table

There are many artists who’ve tried to blend a few hip hop influences into their guitar-based rock stylings. Seems to be an easy way to get people to think of you as ‘modern’. Problem is that very few have been able to do it well. Now, rock influenced hip hop is a different matter entirely... but hip hop influenced rock music usually just sounds dumb. However Bartees Strange is an exception. His songs are expansive and unfiltered, spilling over the top of the bowl with a rare stylistic ambition (and the ability to pull it off). Dunno what else to say, tunes like Heavy Heart and Mulholand Dr (shout out to a David Lynch reference) immediately put you in the right place and the jams only continue from there. An absolute thrill of an album taking the success of his first record even further into the outer realms.

Kamahumble - O Le Humble

Hailing from Christchurch is Kamahumble and his latest collection of jams under the 'O Le Humble' banner continues a theme of funky, unique Aotearoa music. Kama shares his story over production that captures steady hip-hop vibes as well as upbeaty-dancehall vibes and the way Kama weaves his experience through the backdrop feels like an intersection of cultures. O Le Humble feels similar to Te KuraHuia's 'UHA' drop from a few months ago as both artists shine with their alluring young Aotearoa energy which embraces a funky sound-scape. O Le Humble is upbeat and while it can be deployed to help make your vacuum duties more entertaining, it feels better suited to gathering hype. Whether you need a jam before your sports game or an early-evening gathering, Kamahumble lays out a fun vibe that all kiwis can enjoy.

Jack Johnson - Meet The Moonlight

A new Jack Johnson album means immense chill vibes sweeping across an Aotearoa winter. 'Meet The Moonlight' is Johnson's latest project and first since 2017 which brings with it plenty of insights into modern times without making these jams to heavy to process. The first track 'Open Mind' sets the tone as Johnson builds different sounds on top of each other and whether it's the purest Island sounds on 'Calm Down' or the solo jam 'I Tend To Digress' there is more than enough variety in Johnson's delivery. MTM is a warm blanket for an Aotearoa winter and a lovely soundtrack for spring/summer evenings.

Oog Bogo – Plastic

Already had a Ty Segall album on the list, now here’s a Ty Segall produced album... and it sure sounds like it. Got that crisp fuzzy thing going on with bombastic percussion and loud guitars and all that good stuff. This is the first full length collection by Oog Bogo, another quality Drag City find (via Segall’s God? Records sub-label), and it’s a ferocious set of psych and punk influenced bangers. Bit of that glam sheen in there for kicks, bit of Iggy Berlin new wavey thing bubbling close to the surface too. Plus a healthy dose of general freakiness. Kevin Boog used to be the bass player in Meatbodies before forming Oog Bogo so there was already a Californian garage rock pedigree there even before Segall got involved with the knobs and buttons. One more killer act to add to the scene list. Great album for those head-nodding, toe-tapping, fist-pumping weirdo thrills.

Perfume Genius – Ugly Season

The songs on Ugly Season were initially formed a few years ago for a contemporary dance project. That’s crucial information to know because what you’re not gonna get here is the sorta bombastic pop tunes (with a rocking edge) that have launched Mike Hadreas’ Perfume Genius project into indie music glory. Nope, instead this is something abstract. Absolutely gorgeous sounds but Hadreas’ transcendently fragile voice is mostly used as another instrument alongside all these woozy incantations of avant garde-ry. There are rhythms, especially early on, which suggest Thelonius Monk does Arabian Nights or something. The title track has a dub thing going on. There’s jagged jazz and warped pop. Bowie in Berlin and Brian Eno are a major touchstone. It’s a pretty remarkable listen.

Get amongst TNC’s Patreon if you dig the yarns we serve up, from the Aotearoa sporting realms to beyond

Plus whack an ad while you’re at it, sign up to our Substack belter, and spread the word far and wide about The Niche Cache